A total of 61 "extended schools" nationwide will provide everything from nursery to adult education, childcare to family support, and extra after school activities. The move is part of Government plan to "join up" public services.

Mrs Hodge also announced the next 29 children's centres, which will provide nursery education and support for families with children under the age of five.

She wants all of England's local education authorities to have at least one extended school by 2006.

Parklands High in Speke, Halewood Community Comprehensive, Hatton Hill Primary in Sefton, Wallasey School, Wirral, and Sutton Manor Community primary, St Helens, all become extended schools.

Alan Smithies, headteacher at Parklands High, said: "We're a full service extended school, the only one in Liverpool.

"Our position as a campus lends itself to offering these services either in school or close by. We were working in this direction anyway, and this will be a shot in the arm.

"We had a consultation evening on Monday with the community and agencies we'll be working with, and support for it is overwhelming. Everyone wants to get involved and has ideas."

Stationing social workers in schools has been tried in Scotland and America.

But there has been a renewed interest in using schools as bases from which to spearhead advances in other areas apart from education, such as cutting teenage pregnancy and crime rates, and improving healthcare.

Mrs Hodge said: "Extended schools and children's centres will act as one-stop places, providing services organised around the needs of children and families.

"Easy access to health services means children won't have to travel across town for services like speech therapy.

"Getting parents and grandparents into schools either to learn themselves or help their children to learn helps make the school the real focus of the community."